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The  Poultry  Work  of  the 
Bureau  of  Animal  Industry 

United  States    Department   of  Agriculture 


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Feeding  Pen  on  Range,  Government  Poultry  Farm 


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U.S.  DEPOSITORY 

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WASHINGTON  I  GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE  :  1918 


Page     T W  i 


The  Poultry  Work  of  the  Bureau  of 
Animal  Industry. 


TO  foster  the  poultry  industry  and  to  improve  the  quality 
and  increase  the  output  of  poultry  products  are  the 
objects  of  an  important  part  of  the  work  of  the  United 
States  Department  of  Agriculture.  Investigations  are  car- 
ried on  to  determine  the  best  methods  of  feeding,  breeding, 
and  management  for  the  production  of  eggs  and  table  fowls. 
Information  is  spread  among  poultry  raisers  by  means  of 
publications,  lectures,  pictures,  exhibits,  etc.  Boys'  and 
girls'  poultry  clubs  are  organized  and  the  members  are  in- 
structed in  improved  methods.  Diseases  are  studied  with  a 
view  to  prevention  and  cure.  The  Department's  work  re- 
lates to  chickens,  turkeys,  ducks,  geese,  guinea  fowl,  pigeons, 
and  even  ostriches.  Special  efforts  are  being  made  to  bring 
about  improvement  in  the  quality  of  farm  eggs. 

FEEDING   EXPERIMENTS. 

Various  rations  are  being  fed  to  hens  to  study  their  effects. 
For  example,  in  one  experiment  the  hen  balances  her  own 
ration;  in  another  fish  meal  is  included;  in  another  no  wheat 
or  wheat  products  are  used ;  while  cottonseed  meal  replaces  a 
part  of  the  beef  scrap  in  another.  Comparisons  are  also 
made  of  the  effect  of  the  same  rations  on  hens  of  the  egg  breeds 
as  compared  with  those  of  the  general-purpose  breeds.  Only 
simple  rations  of  widely  available  feeds  are  used.  A  large 
amount  of  data  has  been  obtained  on  the  feed  cost  of  produc- 
ing eggs. 

POULTRY   BREEDING. 

Hens  in  considerable  numbers  are  being  trap-nested  and 
matings  made  to  determine  the  possibilities  of  different 
methods  of  breeding  in  increasing  or  fixing  egg  production. 
Matings  to  fix  certain  types  or  characters  desired  in  the  flocks 
are  also  made.  No  birds  are  retained  in  the  flock  which  have 
a  disqualification  that  would  bar  them  under  the  rules  of  the 
American  Standard  of  Perfection.  The  results  being  ob- 
tained indicate  that  it  is  possible  to  combine  utility  and  stand- 
ard breeding  to  a  practical  degree. 

?2299°-16  Page    Three 


Poultry  Work  of  the  Bureau  of  Animal  Industry 


A  Typical  Poultry  Club. 

boys'  and  girls'  poultry  clubs. 

The  boys'  and  girls'  poultry  clubs  have  a  wide  influence  in 
interesting  the  children  in  raising  chickens  and  in  teaching 
them  and  their  parents  the  best  methods  of  handling  poultry 
for  the  production  of  eggs  and  meat.  The  specialists  of  the 
department  cooperate  with  the  State  agricultural  colleges  in 
forming  these  clubs.  The  poultry  club  work  is  being  con- 
ducted in  seven  States,  in  which  there  are  more  than  8,000 
members. 

TURKEY   AND   GUINEA-FOWL   INVESTIGATIONS. 

The  turkey  and  guinea-fowl  industries  are  studied  upon 
farms  in  the  regions  of  extensive  production.  The  habits  and 
characteristics  of  the  fowls  are  observed,  information  is  gath- 
ered in  regard  to  incubation,  breeding,  feeding,  and  hatching, 
and  cooperation  is  given  in  management.  The  problem  of 
preventing  excessive  mortality  in  turkeys  is  receiving  special 
study. 

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Poultry  Wor\  of  the  Bureau  of  Animal  Industry 


I  iSTRICH    INVESTIGATIONS. 

A  flock  of  ostriches  owned  by  the  department  is  maintained 
at  Glendale,  Ariz.,  where  their  feeding,  breeding,  and  man- 
agement are  being  carefully  studied.  The  production  of 
ostrich  feathers  with  special  reference  to  their  quality  and  to 
the  elimination  of  certain  defects  common  to  American 
feathers  is  receiving  attention. 

PIGEONS    AND    SQUABS. 

Work  with  pigeons  has  been  started  recently.  Good  repre- 
sentative specimens  of  the  more  common  breeds  were  pur- 
chased and  studied  and  experiments  are  being  made  in  their 
feeding  and  breeding.  Special  attention  is  also  being  given 
to  the  production  of  squabs. 

ARTIFICIAL    INCUBATION. 

Artificial  incubation  is  one  of  the  branches  of  the  poultry 
business  in  which  improvement  is  needed.  More  efficient 
methods  of  hatching  would  result  in  a  great  saving  both  in 
eggs  and  in  the  labor  of  reproducing  the  flocks  of  laying  hens 


Brood  Coops  for  Hen  and  Chicks. 


Page   F  i  o< 


Poultry  Work  of  the  Bureau  of  Animal  Industry 


Cockerel  House  at  Government  Poultry  Farm.     Small  Pens  Are  Provided  for  Indi- 
vidual Male  Birds  and  for  Small  Matings. 

each  year.  Experiments  are  being  made  with  incubators  both 
under  practical  conditions  and  under  carefully  controlled 
laboratory  conditions. 

IMPROVEMENT   OF   THE   FARM   EGG. 

The  department  is  devoting  special  attention  to  improving 
the  quality  of  market  eggs  with  a  view  to  overcoming  losses 
estimated  at  $45,000,000  a  year.  The  studies  cover  the  pro- 
duction of  eggs  on  the  farm  and  their  handling  from  the  farm 
to  the  country  store.  The  production  of  infertile  eggs,  which 
are  far  superior  in  keeping  qualities  to  fertile  eggs,  is  being 
advocated. 

THE  GOVERNMENT  POULTRY  FARM. 

The  experimental  poultry  work  is  conducted  at  the  experi- 
mental farm  of  the  Bureau  of  Animal  Industry  at  Beltsville, 
Md.  The  poultry  plant  is  equipped  with  houses  for  1,800 
hens.  These  are  so  arranged  that  they  provide  about  90 
separate  pens.     There  is  a  separate  building  for  the  housing 

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Poultry  Work  of  the  Bureau  of  Animal  Industry 


of  cockerels,  with  special  pens  for  small  matings.  The  incu- 
bators have  a  capacity  of  about  3,000  eggs,  and  from  1,800  to 
2,000  chicks  are  hatched  each  year.  The  entire  plant  is 
designed  to  provide  ideal  sanitary  equipment  for  the  feeding 
and  handling  of  fowls.  The  aim,  however,  has  been  to  use 
only  such  equipment  as  would  be  practical  in  cost  and  nature 
for  the  regular  poultry  raiser.  The  breeds  kept  are  those 
which  are  commonly  regarded  as  the  most  valuable  for  the 
farm.  They  include  Barred  and  White  Plymouth  Rocks, 
White  Wyandottes,  Rhode  Island  Reds,  and  Buff  Orpingtons. 
There  is  also  a  flock  of  White  Leghorns  and  one  of  Buff 
Leghorns. 

The  farm  is  1 3  miles  from  Washington  and  may  be  reached 
either  by  trolley  line  or  by  railroad.  Visitors  are  welcome 
and  will  be  shown  about  the  poultry  plant  and  given  full 
information  in  regard  to  the  poultry  work. 

POULTRY   DISEASES. 

Diseases  are  a  great  drawback  to  poultry  raising  on  a  large 
scale.     Laboratory  research  is  constantly  carried  on  to  gain 


Pigeon  House  and  Fly,  Government  Poultry  Farm 


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UNIVERSITY  OF  FLORIDA 

II I  llllll  III  II 

3  1262  08925  9732 
Poultry  Work  of  the  Bureau  of  Animal  Industry 


knowledge  as  to  the  causes  and  nature  of  these  maladies  and 
to  devise  means  of  prevention.  Advice  is  given  through 
publications  and  correspondence.  Special  attention  is  being 
given  to  the  highly  fatal  bacillary  white  diarrhea  of  baby 
chicks. 

INFORMATION   GLADLY   GIVEN. 

The  department  is  pleased  to  receive  inquiries  from  poultry 
raisers  and  to  send  its  literature  and  give  information  and 
advice  by  correspondence.  Visitors  to  Washington  who  may 
wish  to  consult  the  department's  poultry  specialists  are 
invited  to  call  at  1358  B  Street  SW.,  just  opposite  the 
department  grounds. 

The  work  in  poultry  feeding  and  breeding  is  conducted  by 
the  Animal  Husbandry  Division,  and  that  relating  to  dis- 
eases by  the  Pathological  Division  of  the  Bureau  of  Animal 
Industry. 

PUBLICATIONS   ON  POULTRY. 

The  department  has  published  the  following  Farmers'  Bulletins 
dealing  with  various  phases  of  poultry  raising.  These  will  be  supplied 
free  to  interested  persons  on  application  to  the  Bureau  of  Animal 
Industry  or  to  the  Division  of  Publications,  U.  S.  Department  of  Agri- 
culture, Washington,  D.  C: 

Standard  Varieties  of  Chickens.     No.  51.  Poultry  House  Construction.     No.  574. 

*The  Guinea  Fowl.    No.  234.  Natural  and  Artificial  Incubation  of  Hens' 

Poultry  Management.    No.  287.  Eggs.    No.  585. 

A   Successful    Poultry   and    Dairy    Farm.  Shipping  Eggs  by  Parcel  Post.     No.  594. 

No.  355.  Natural  and  Artificial  Brooding  of  Chick- 

*Marketing  Eggs  Through   the  Creamery.  ens.    No.  624. 

No.  445.  A  Simple  Trap  Nest  for  Poultry.    No.  6821 

Capons  and  Caponizing.     No.  452.  Squab  Raising.     No.  684. 

Hints  to  Poultry  Raisers.    No.  528.  Duck  Raising.    No.  697. 

Important  Poultry  Diseases.    No.  530.  Goose  Raising.    No.  767. 

The  Organization  of  Boys'  and  Girls'  Poul-  Turkey  Raising.    No.  791. 

try  Clubs.    No.  562. 

*May  be  secured  from  the  Superintendent  of  Documents,  Government  Printing  Office, 
Washington,  D.  C,  at  5  cents  per  copy. 

In  addition  a  number  of  technical  papers  have  been  issued.  Some 
of  the  more  important  of  these  are  given  in  the  list  below.  These  pub- 
lications the  department  will  furnish  free  as  long  as  the  supply  for  free 
distribution  lasts.  They  are  issued  in  limited  editions,  however,  and 
when  the  department 's  supply  is  exhausted  copies  can  be  obtained  only 
by  purchase  from  the  Superintendent  of  Documents,  Washington,  D.  C, 
to  whom  should  be  sent  the  price  named  in  currency  or  post-office  money 
order  (stamps  not  accepted). 

The  Commercial  Fattening  of  Poultry.     1914.     55  pages,  illustrated.     (Agri.  Bui.  21.)     10c. 

Fattening  Poultry.     191 1.    60  pages,  illustrated.     (Animal  Ind.  Bui.  140.)    10c. 

The  Improvement  of  the  Farm  Egg.     191 1.    43  pages,  illustrated.     (Animal  Ind.  Bui. 

141.)      IOC  1 

The  Care  of  the  Farm  Egg.     1913.     52  pages,  illustrated.     (Animal  Ind.  Bui.  160.)     15c. 

Page    Eight 


